York shops ready for first Black Friday

If shoppers are feeling adventurous or even love the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping and the holidays, they have several options to help lighten the load and give them a place to relax

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Dustin Nispel, one of three owners, stands inside The Rooted Artist Collective on North Newberry Street in York. The gallery will be open on Black Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.(Photo11: Kate Penn, York Daily Record)Buy Photo

The Christmas decorations are out before Halloween has even happened. Black Friday sales don’t wait until Friday anymore -- you get started on Thanksgiving.

Skip the turkey with the family (or squeeze it in) before hit the stores.If you planned early, you probably checked out the big stores’ advertisements when they came out weeks in advance. Who has the best deals? What lines are worth waiting in?

Then you might line up in the cold, waiting for the doors to open and chaos to ensue as the masses plunge their way into chain stores -- grabbing anything and everything they could want for the holiday season.

That’s precisely the Black Friday that some York businesses want to avoid.

Take Dustin Nispel at The Rooted Artist Collective in the WeCo neighborhood of York -- west of the Codorus Creek, that is.

“We, the owners -- Jessica (Flynn) and Carrie (Peck) -- we all hate Black Friday,” Nispel said. “We lock ourselves in our homes and don’t come out. (It’s full of) people being mean and in a rush.”

But as a business, open for its first holiday season, Nispel said they knew they couldn’t stay locked away inside.

“As a business, we wanted to be open, create a calming place,” he said.

So along with i-ron-ic, another store in WeCo across the street, The Rooted Artist Collective will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday.

But the experience will be very different for shoppers, Nispel said.

Shoppers can grab a coffee at i-ron-ic’s new coffee bar and look around the shop, where items will be 10 percent off. Then dash across the street to The Rooted where they’ll find a day stocked full of local musicians.

“We wanted to have something special,” Nispel said. “These local musicians come in and give back to the community, and allow them to
have some peace.”

While giving shoppers a break on prices, Nispel notes they have paintings anywhere from $30 to $1,000. The 10 percent off comes out of
the store’s commission, not the artist’s cut, though Nispel notes some artists are also cutting prices.

“It’s a one-day chance to grab up some of the art on our walls for a cheaper price,” he said.

Over in Royal Square

Technically, this is 56 Urban Provisions’ second holiday season. But having opened on Nov. 14 last year, the focus was more on being open and less a holiday season blowout.

This year, there’s a mix of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shopping going on, as well as help for a big, locally sourced
Thanksgiving meal.

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Work by local artists like Dustin Nispel's 'Miles to go Before I Sleep', top right, is for sale at The Rooted Artist Collective on North Newberry Street in York. The gallery will be open on Black Friday, and owners hope it will be a place for shoppers to relax and get away from the craziness of the day.(Photo11: Kate Penn, York Daily Record)

This year’s shopping pairs what she calls “unique, specialty gifts” and “attractive price points.” With a stocking stuffer display,
shoppers can grab smaller items to fit in stockings or as an addition to another gift.

They’ve also feature sets geared toward the recipient -- like “for him,” “for the hostess” or “for the cocktail lover,” Given said.

Shoppers may recall that 56 recently reopened as a general store. Selling many small batch brands, Given said the hope is that shoppers’
willingness to try new things and learn about these small brands will carry on through the gift purchases.

“We hope that shoppers step outside the box and spring for more unique items,” Given said. “We think the recipients of their gifts will
appreciate it.”

Ahead of the big days of shopping, 56 is taking a different approach to the Thanksgiving meal.

On the heels of its successful first “56 Quick Fix” meal program, the store offered up the turkey and fixings for those hoping to make meal
preparations a little easier and delicious.

While providing the measured out, healthy meals to families of two or four, 56 Quick Fix has been able to collaborate with local businesses and local food. That collaboration is something that is stressed through the Thanksgiving meal, Given said.

“We always liked doing local collaborations and liked the idea of bringing our customers, many of which are city dwellers and also
subscribers to 56 Quick Fix, a chance to use us as a one-stop shop for delicious, locally sourced Thanksgiving fare,” Given said.

The program brings diners everything they could need -- a fresh turkey from Sunnyside Farms, Baron Von Schwein baked corn or mac and cheese and York City Pretzel Company stuffing. Don’t forget the cocktail mixes and the leftover kit for those day-after turkey sandwiches.

And it’s all in one place for two days of pickup. Sunnyside Farms actually has several pickup locations for their turkeys, but 56 is the
only one in the city, Given said.

“I think that appealed to people that it was convenient and they could make it part of their Saturday morning market run or their Monday
evening pit stop after work,” Given said.

So even if shoppers are feeling adventurous or even love the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping and the holidays, they have
several options to help lighten the load and give them a place to relax a bit before rushing back out into the fast-paced holiday life.

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Work by local artists is for sale at The Rooted Artist Collective on North Newberry Street in York Wednesday, November 18, 2015. On Black Friday, local musicians will play throughout the day starting at 10 a.m.(Photo11: York Daily Record)

56 Urban Provisions

Black Friday: Open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a swag bag of items given to the first customer. The first 25 people to buy giftcards will get a deal -- $25 for only $15. There will also be a candle sale and stocking stuffer displays with small gifts under $10. Coffeewill be half-priced for early birds between 7 and 8 a.m.

Small Biz Saturday: Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a Shop Small Swag giveaway while supplies last. The candle sale and stocking stuffer display continues and half-priced coffee is available from 8 to 9 a.m.

The Rooted Artist Collective

Black Friday: Opening at 7 a.m., there will be a 10 percent sale on items and live music throughout the day.Small Business Saturday: Open regular hours.Online: Find the Facebook event by searching for Black Friday OpenHouse at The Rooted.

i-ron-ic

Black Friday and Small Business Saturday: Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with 10 percent off the whole store.

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